Tecno is an Italian furniture company founded in 1953 by twin brothers Osvaldo and Fulgenzio Borsani, specializing in industrial and office furnishings. Its visual identity centers on a capital “T” mark that first appeared in 1954 and has remained the keystone of the company’s graphic image ever since. [1]
Design and History
The famous capital “T” logo made its first appearance in 1954, at Tecno’s presentation for the 10th Milan Triennial exhibition. Roberto Mango was responsible for the iconic creation, which was born from a sketch made during a conversation with Osvaldo Borsani on the staircase of the Palazzo di Via Alemagna. [1] [2] The company adopted the T with the aim of representing the strong simplicity of the shape, the quality of materials and workmanship, and the focus on opportunities afforded by technology. [3]
In 2020, through a partnership with Studio Tassinari Vetta, the brand underwent a respectful geometrical redesign of the iconic T, supported by a new typography. The project was first previewed at Orgatec 2018 and was progressively applied to the entire Tecno universe. [3] The redesign was part of a new corporate image project commissioned to Tassinari/Vetta, launched on the 65th anniversary of Tecno. [4]
In June 2024, Tecno was entered into the Italian Register of Historic Trademarks (Registro speciale dei Marchi Storici Italiani), with the “T” icon drawn in 1954 by Roberto Mango and Osvaldo Borsani cited as the company’s keystone. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The T is the initial of the company name, but it has also been described as a cosmic symbol for its likeness to the cross and to the structure of the human body. With less emphasis, it can be read as an outline of orthogonality: the essential meeting point between vertical and horizontal. [3]
Roberto Mango described the letter T as an axial, symmetrical letter that also represents a construction with a base, a support and a top. In a 1990 letter, he explained that he avoided the harshness of corners by resorting to curves, writing that only the curve could give the sense of technology and industrial precision mediated by freedom of expression. The top of the T features a large upper arc, a semi-circle made of two quarter circles, with two equal but inverted quarters forming the base. [3]
Typography and Design
The 2020 redesign by Studio Tassinari Vetta paired the geometrically redrawn T with a new typography based on a linear Neo-Grotesque font, described as the new narrative voice of the brand. [3] The same neo-grotesque typeface was adopted in the three books launched for Tecno’s 65th anniversary, the first result of the new corporate image project. [4]
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